Car coupling



Feb. 16, 1932. w. McCONWAY. JR., ET AL 1,844,968

CAR COUPLING Filed June 21, 1928 Patented Feb; 16, 1932 UNITED s'rares PATENT I orrice WILLIAM MGCONWAY, an; AND WILL AM KELSO, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, AS-

sIeNon-s TO THE McooNweY a TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PnNNsYLvANIA,

A COEPORATIQN OF PENNSYLVANIA CAR COUPLING Application filed J'une 21,

This application is a continuation in part of our co-pending application Serial No. 55,319, led September 9, 1925,-which matured into Patent 1,712,621, May l i, 1929. lheinvention relates to car coupling mechanism for railway cars and has for its object to produce a simple, strongand reliable device for connecting a car equipped with an automatic coupler of the vertical plane type to a car employinga drawhook or the like.

Devices employed for this purpose are commonly known as transition couplings.

The principal feature ofthe invention consists in providing, the head of a coupler whcreon a knuckle is pivotally mounted with a hollard disposed in the longitudinal axis of the coupler, and in combining therewith means for connecting said coupler to a drawhook, the said means involving a post adapted to enter an opening in the tail of the knuckle when the latter is in open position, together with a link for connecting the post to the bollard, the link being adapted to bear against a portion of the coupler head to thereby maintain its forward end in vertical alinement with the post receiving opening in the knuckle tail. 1

Other features of the invention relating to advantageous forms and relations of parts i will hereinafter appear;

In the drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention:

Figure 1 is a. plan view of a coupler, transition gear and drawhook embodying the invention, the parts being connected and in pulling position.

Figure 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of the construction shown in Figure 1, the lock for the knuckle and a portion of its lifter being in outline in dot and dash lines. 7

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View of aportion of the post forming an element of the transition gear, the view being taken on the line 3-3, Figure 2.

Figure .l is a detail plan view showing a modified form of the link member and the cooperating portion of the coupler head.

In thedrawings, 1 isa coupler whose stem or shank 2 is attached to the car by means of 1928. serial No. 287,214.

suitable draft rigging appliances in any well known or desired manner. Rotatably mounted upon thehead 2 of the coupler by means of the usualknuckle pin 3 is a knuckie 4 haw ing a tail 5 for cooperating in the usual manner with a suitable lock for normally restraining uncoupling rotation of the knuckle.

The top of the coupler head 6 is cast with an upwardly extending bollard'? positioned in the longitudinal axis or center line of the coupler. To the rear of the bollard 7 and in spaced relation therewith is a lug 8 between which and the bollarda link 9 is received. The bollard 7 and lug 8 are preferably of the well known form illustrated and the link 9, which serves to transmit pulling strains to the coupler head, is preferably formed on one side with a flattened portion 10 of reduced cross-section which is adapted to pass between the bolla-rd and the lug 8 so as to permitthe link to be interlockingly connected to the bollard. By this means the link 9 can be inserted between the bollard and the upwardly extending lug adjacent thereto and may thenbe turned to a position in which, when it is assembled with other parts of the transition gear, it prevents the transition de vice from accidentally becoming disassenr bled from the coupler.

The knuckle tail 5 is provided with a vertically extending, opening or recess 11 for receiving the lower end portion 12 of the post member 13 forming a "part of the transition gear. The opening 11 in the knuckle tail and the portion 12 of the draft post are preferably cylindrical so as to permit the post 13 to rotate around its axis, thus relieving the post from the twisting strains to which itotherwise would be subjected in service when cars are passingaround a curve. The top surface of the knuckle tail 5 is preferably provided with an upwardly extending lug or wall 14: which borders the front of the opening 11 and thus increases the bearing area for resisting the pulling action of the post. The wall lialso serves as a seat for the project ing stop lug 15 with which the draft post is provided, the post 13 thus being maintained at proper height. To limit the outward rotation of the knuckle when the transition gear is in use, the knuckle tail 5 is formed on its lower surface with a lug or shoulder 16 which is adapted to bear against the shoulder 17 formed by the inside face of the lower front wall of the coupler head.

The upper end of the post 13 is supported against draft strains by means of the link 9 which passes around the bollard 7. For the purpose of movably connecting this link to the post member the latter is preferably provided at its upper end with an extension or lug 18 which, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3, is cast straight or open and then is bent down around the forward end of the link 9 after the latter has been placed over the post 13 when assembling the transition gear. The opening for the forward end of the link 9 formed by bending down the lug 18 is somewhat larger than the cross-sectional diameter of the link so as to afford a slight clearance permitting the post 13 to be tilted rearwardly somewhat in the operation of lifting it out of the hole 11 in the knuckle tail. For this same purpose the opening 11. in the knuckle tail is slightly larger than the lower end of the post 13 and the rear side of the later normally inclines forwardly away from the adjacent part of the coupler head, as indicated at 19. The forward end of the link 9 preferably is attached to the draft post on or above a horizontal line passing through the rear end or hearing of the link against the bollard 7 or, in other words, the link 9 is attached to the post at a point which is at least as high as the point of attachment of the link to the bollard. By this means the link 9 operates to prevent the post from creeping upward out of the hole 11 in the tail of the knuckle under the influence of an upward pull induced by the drawhook 20 on a car which is higher than the car to which the automatic coupler 1 is applied, as any accidental upward movement of the post would shorten the distance between the bearings of the link and thus prevent the post from becoming disengaged from the knuckle tail. For convenience in lifting the draft post 13 to withdraw it from the hole 11 in the knuckle tail, a handle member 21 may advantageously be provided at the upper end of the post. The handle is preferably formed as a forwardly curved bar.

Above the tail of the knuckle but below the link 9 the draft post 13 is movably attached to a plurality of connected link members 22 and 23 respectively, the former being adapted to cooperate with a drawhook 20 and the latteh preferably being formed as an eye-bar connected at its forward end to the link 22 and pivotally connected at its rear end to the draft post 13. As a means for movably conneeting the member 23 to the post the latter may advantageously be provided with a pair of spaced forwardly extending perforated lugs 24 between which the rear end of the eye-bar 23 is received. A pivot pin 25 passing through the bar 23 and lugs 24 serves to connect these members. The link 22 is preferably made of substantially triangular form, the opening therein being wider at the rear end. This form of link enables it to be re moved from the drawhook with increased freedom. To ail'ord clearance permitting it to rotate when the cars are passing around a curve the draft post 13 is bevelled or cut away at its upper end on the guard arm side as indicated at 26.

\Vhen the transition gear is not in use, the draft post 13 is raised until its lower end 12 is withdrawn from the post hole 11 in the tail of the knuckle 5. The transition mechanism may then be moved or swung to one side of the coupler 1 leaving the latter free for coupling with another automatic coupler of its own type.

As the bollard 7 is positioned in the longitudinal axis or center line of the coupler while the draft post 13 is displaced laterally or eccentrically so as to be nearer the guard arm side of the coupler head, the link 9 by which the upper end of the draft post is connected to the bollard occupies an angular position with respect to the line of pull to which it is subjected. As the bollard 7 is located substantially on the center line of the coupler it is necessary to provide means for maintaining the center of curvature of the forward end of the link 9 approximately in vertical alinement with the center of the hole 11 of the knuckle tail in which the lower end of the draft post 13 is placed when the transition gear is in use, so that there may be proper clearance between the link 22 and the nose of the knuckle 4 when the links 22 and 23 rotate to the angular positions they assume when the coupler 1 and drawhook 2O approach each other in butfing. This may be effectively accomplished by providing the coupler head adjacent the opening for the knckle pin 3 with an upwardly extending wall 27 against which one side of the link 9 is adapted to bear, the face of the lug which engages the link 9 being inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the coupler in correspondence with the inclination of the abutting side of the link. Such a construction affords ample bearing for the link 9 and at the same time enables the link to be of simple form. If desired however the link 9 may, as shown in Figure 4, be provided on one side towards its forward end with a lateral extension or lug 28 which is adapted to bear against an upwardly extending wall 29 cast on the top of the upper pivot lug of the coupler head, the center of curvature of the forward end of the link 9 being thereby preserved in approximate vertical alinement with the center of the opening 11 in the knuckle tail.

It will be perceived that the invention renders unnecessary the use of a spring for hold- V for such a spring creates objectionable fric- 9 tion between the tail of the knuckle and the ing the knuckle 4 open when the automatic coupler 18 connected to a car provided wlth a drawhook. This is decidedly advantageous knuckle lock and also between the lock and the coupler wall against which the lock bears.

The friction thus induced not only results in increased wear of these surfaces but also renders it more difiicult to release the lock from locked position because of the pressure upon the parts. lVhile the particular details of construction of the draft post 13 illustrated in the drawings are preferably employed, it will be appreciated that the manner of relating the link 9 to the post and to the coupler 1 and also the means for supporting the link 9 against lateral pressure when it is subjected to pulling may be employed in transition car couplings whose details of construction differ from those herein illustrated.

Vfe claim: I i

1. Car coupling mechanism comprising a coupler involving a coupler head having a bollard positioned substantially in the longitudinal axis of the coupler, and a knuckle rotatably mounted, on said head, in combination with means adapted to connect said coupler with drawhook, said means involving a post adapted to enter an opening in t re tail of the lIDHClKlB' when the latter is in open position, means movably attached to said post above the tail of the knuckle for detachably connecting the post to adrawhook, and a link member for connecting the postto the bollard, said link member when subjected to pulling extending at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the coupler and hearing at one side against a portion of the coupler head to thereby maintain the forward end of said link in vertical alinement with the post receiving opening in the knuckle tail. j

2. Car coupling mechanism comprising a coupler involving a coupler headhaving a hollard positioned substantially in the longitudinal axis of the coupler, a knuckle rotatably mounted on said head, and means for arresting uncoupling rotation ofthe knuckle,

in combination with a device adapted to connect such coupler with a drawhook, said device involving a post adapted to enter an opening in the tail of the knuckle when the latter is in open position, said post being in advance of said bollard and being spaced.

with respect thereto laterally of the coupler head, means movably attached to the post above the tail of the knuckle for detachably c connecting the post to a drawhook, and a link its forward end substantially in vertical alinement with the post receiving opening in the knuckle tail.

3. Car coupling mechanism comprising a coupler involving a coupler head having a bollard positioned substantially in the longitudinal axis of the coupler, and a knuckle rotatably mounted on said head in combination with means adapted to connect said coupler with a drawhook, said means involving a post rotatably and detachably engaging the tail of the knuckle and adapted to communicate draft forces thereto, said post when in normal position being disposed laterally of the coupler head with respect to the bollard, a plurality of movably connected link memhers, one of which is movably attached to said post above the tail of the knuckle and one of which is adapted to'be connected to a drawhook, and a link member for connecting the post to the bollard, said coupler head having an upwardly extending portion against which said last-named link member is adapted to hear when subjected to pulling to thereby maintain its, forward end substantially in vertical alinement with the axis of rotation of the post.

4-. Car coupling mechanism comprising a coupler involving a coupler head having a bollard, said bollard being in the longitudinal axis of the coupler, a knuckle rotatably mounted on said head and alock for the knuckle, in combination with means adapted to connect said coupler with a drawhook, said means involving a post adapted to enter an opening in the tail of the knuckle when the latter is in open position, means movably attached to said post above the tail of the knuckle detachably connecting the post to a drawhook, and a link member for connectingthe post to the bollard, said link member having a lateral extension adapted to bear against a portion of the coupler head to thereby maintain the forward end of said link substantially in vertical alinement with the1 post receiving opening in theknuckle tai In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

WILLIAM MCCONWAY, JR.

WILLIAM KELSO. V 

